When Bella returned, Jacob whispered something in to her ear and then the two of them all but dragged Schyleur away from the beach. Quil excused himself to make a call and Jared and Paul followed behind her.
Jake began to talk and then could not stop. He started to describe in great detail the set up of the reservation.
The rez was more or less shaped like a circle, with 10 different roads that were like lines branching off of it. Each road led to a house. Almost the entire tribe lived on the reservation according to Jake. Each home was two bedrooms, except for branches 1-3 which had 3 bedrooms customized for Billy, Sue and Old Quil. They had each had children that needed their own rooms. The typical two rooms were proving to be enough for everyone else though.
According to Jake- Sue, Seth and Leah lived on branch 3 while he and Billy lived on branch 2. Brach 1 belonged to Old Quil and young Quil and his mother, Joy. Paul lived on branch 5 with his father. Sam Uley, whoever that was, and his fiancé Emily lived on the 4th branch and that was where they said that they were headed. Jared stayed on the 6th branch where he'd taken Embry as a roommate. The last four branches were empty for when family members decided to move out of their parent's home.
Schyleur wasn't sure why Jacob suddenly seemed to have diarrhea of the mouth, but it was making her jumpy with the way he was acting all jumping.
He kept almost reaching out to her and then stopping himself. He was being awkward, very awkward and Bella was simply nodding along. It was strange and Sky knew strange when she was faced with it.
Jacob and Bella led her to Sam's home and paused outside.
"If Sam's fiancé Emily comes home, don't stare at her," Jake said casually, yanking open Sam's front door, "It makes him upset."
He walked Sky inside without knocking. Paul and Jared following in after her.
"You can sit at the table," Jacob offered, "I'll just run in to the back and talk to Sam really quickly. Right Bells?" Jake looked at her and then to Sky and then away at a cabinet and scratched the back of his neck.
"Yeah," Bella nodded far too overenthusiastic, "I'll come with you."
"Me too!" Jared said instantly, "We'll all go."
Jacob didn't say anything. He simply turned to rush through a doorway and slammed in to a man who paused and grunted.
"What the hell?!" he looked around the kitchen.
"Sam!" Bella clapped her hands together, "This is my cousin, Schyleur."
Sam looked around at all of them. He looked from Bella to Jake to Jared to Schyleur and then at Paul who was standing behind her chair, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Jake," Bella nudged him and then turned around quickly to go sit at the table across from her cousin.
"What do you guys want?" Sam raised an eyebrow.
Jared and Jake both turned to look at Paul who had pushed himself off of the wall and was now pacing the length of the kitchen.
"If one of you don't-" Sam paused as the door creaked open.
Sky was honestly impressed that literally no on the reservation knocked on this guy's door. It was Quil carrying four brown paper bags as a woman followed him inside. She was an extremely beautiful young woman, with exotic good looks, glossy black hair and satiny copper skin, as well as a melodic voice. She had three long scars on the right side of her face from hairline to her chin and they extend down her right arm to her hand. Sky kept her eyes on Sam after her initial look in their direction. She was waiting for someone to tell her why they'd dragged her from the beach to Sam's house.
Sam's grimace turned in to a smile at the sight of his new house guests. He walked across the kitchen and around Quil who was attempting to set the bags on the counter. Sam placed a long lingering kiss to the injured side of the woman's face before her lips.
"Hey guys," she smiled around the room, "Bella," she nodded towards her, "and…" she paused.
"This is Schyleur," Jake offered, "She's Bella's cousin. Sky this is Emily. She's Sam's fiancé," he smiled, "Oh! And that's Sam," he gestured towards him.
Sam rolled his eyes as Paul went off to help Quil put the groceries where they belonged.
"They barged in unannounced to tell me something," Sam explained to his fiancé, "but they haven't gotten around to it yet."
"Paul needs to talk to you," Jared said dryly.
Sam looked at Paul and then at Jake.
"Talk," he crossed his arms over his chest and side stepped out of Emily's way as she shook her head with a smile.
Sky got the idea that this happened sort of often.
"I wasn't feeling very well," Paul said, not turning around from his shelving.
"Do you want me to call someone?" Sam asked visibly getting more serious.
"No," Jared interrupted and then walked over to Paul and nudged him.
"I don't feel as bad when I'm here," Paul said simply.
"Okay?" Sam scratched the back of his head, "Do you want to stay here for the night?"
"Stop being a little girl," Jared growled at Paul who growled right back.
"Sam- what I mean is…" Paul took a deep breath and then turned around to lean against the kitchen cabinet.
"He doesn't feel bad because he's here with her," Jared gestured towards Sky.
Sam looked at Jared for a while and then at Paul. Quil whistled as he continued to save things. Jake crossed his arms over her chest. Bella looked down at her hands as they fidgeted in her lap. Paul became suddenly extremely interested in his feet. They were going to have to spell this out for them and by them Schyleur meant herself and Sam because one look at Emily and it was obvious that she understood. She was blushing and her mouth was in an almost perfect "o". Everyone stood in silence while Sam pondered Jared words. Paul didn't bother to elaborate.
It hit Sam all at once and he cursed.
"You mean he…" Sam looked around the room at the nodding boys, "On?" he looked at Schyleur.
"Can someone just tell me what the hell everyone is talking about?" she snapped.
They were irritating her. They were irritating her to no end and she was not going to be dragged to someone's home so that everyone could talk in codes around her. They could have simply left her where she was.
Sam took a deep breath and then scratched the back of his head.
"Outside," he decided, "All of you," he gestured to a door on the opposite side of the kitchen, "I'll answer all of your questions," he assured Sky, "but we have to start from the beginning."
Jake pulled out Bella's chair as Paul quickly crossed the kitchen and pulled out Schyleur's while Emily, Sam and Quil both watched in mild amusement.
"What?" he growled at them.
Sam scoffed.
"Outside," he repeated.
The guys filed outside, Schyleur taking up the rear with Paul behind her. He was behind her a lot she noted.
When they got outside Paul closed the house door tightly before jumping off of the side of the four steps so that he wouldn't have to force his way between Schyleur and Bella who sat on the steps without instruction. Bella had done it first so Schyleur had simply followed suit. Jared, Paul and Quil both plopped themselves on the ground, stretching their legs out in front of them.
"So," Sam cleared his throat, "My ancestors were the descendants of wolves," he started, "Apparently, the wolves were our natural protectors when we settled in La Push. They would wander through the settlement and everyone would let them. It became natural for them to be seen wandering the streets or laying in front of someone's mailbox. They were a fixture in our history. According to legend the Quileute tribe settled in La Push and became efficient fishermen and shipbuilders. As time passed, other peoples coveted their land and moved against them for it," Sam paused, "Damn it. Billy is better at this. Why didn't you take her to Billy?"
"He's not home. Sue took him shopping or something," Jake offered, "Trust me, Bella and I thought of him first."
"Thanks," Sam rolled his eyes.
"You're doing great," Jared offered, "Keep going."
Sam cleared his throat again.
"The tribe was small and could not defend themselves," he started again, "so their friends, the wolves, used the magic in their blood to defend it. The wolves became family and our people began feeding them and allowing them inside their homes and the Quileute and wolves lived in harmony for many years. Then, one day the chief at the time, Taha Aki, died and was not taken in to either heaven or hell. He simply walked the Earth, watching his people," Sam paused again.
"I can take over," Jake offered.
"Go for it," Sam looked around at the eyes tearing in to him.
"The great wolf that followed him in life followed him in death as well," Jake began, "because the wolves were able to see beyond what our ancestors could. Well, Taha Aki felt jealous of the animal because it could walk the world. So, he asked if he could share the wolf's body with him and the wolf complied. So, as a single being, the wolf and the man went to the village," Jake's voice started to get more excited, "Taha Aki had single handedly changed the entire future of our tribe!" he boasted, "From then on he was known as the Great Wolf."
"Or the Spirit Man," Quil added.
"Yeah," Jake nodded, "And he led the tribe for many years and fathered many sons, who in time found that they too could turn into wolves on reaching manhood. However, they were all different because the wolf form reflected the spirit of the man. Eventually Taha Aki died and when he did for some odd reason, his successors couldn't tap in to their wolf side anymore. The only time that they could switch between their two forms was when there was danger approaching," Jake bowed dramatically at the finishing of his story.
Sam and Paul collectively rolled their eyes. Sky looked around at the guys around her. She still could not understand what was so secretive about that. She watched Bella set a hand on her leg.
"A demonstration Jake," Sam took three steps away from him.
"Why do I have to demonstrate?" he whined.
"Because Quil and Jared have imprint knowledge and Paul," Sam paused, "Obvious reasons."
Jacob sighed and looked around before shaking his hands, taking a deep breath and shifting in to a giant wolf right before Schyleur's very eyes.
She was sure her breathing had stopped. She was sure that she was losing her mind. She was sure that she was going crazy.
X
Paul was worried. His imprint looked like she was hyperventilating. She stood up abruptly and turned her back to them. She took some quick shallow breaths and Bella stood up. Paul followed suit. She was panicking. She was afraid. She was afraid of them. Damn it. She was afraid of him. He made a move towards her and felt a hand on each of his shoulders. He knew it was Jared without turning around. Jared was the only person stupid enough to touch him when his emotions were running high, besides Leah of course.
Leah, Jared and Paul were the three dysfunctional amigos. Jared and Paul had been the first two to phase into the pack after Sam so there was a time when they'd only had each other to figure stuff out. Jared could tell how agitated Paul was without having to ask. They'd spent enough hours just patrolling the two of them before the pack had been big enough for only three hour shifts. Jared was one of the few people that didn't make Paul want to kill them. Naturally when Leah and Paul had begun to bond, she had lowered her distaste in Jared.
Paul and Leah had just sort of gravitated towards each other after she'd shifted. It was nice having her around. They were both known for being hostile so while the rest of the pack was always civil and even joked around with them when everyone was together, they weren't exactly inviting the two of them to hang out off of the reservation. Sure, the two of them may have actually been hostile, but it wasn't with no reason. Paul was the way he was because it was required. People followed who they loved or who they feared. It was easier for him to scare them in to submission than it was to watch out for all of their little toes and Leah was the way she was because as the first girl that had shifted in Quileute history, people were constantly doubting her. They were either doubting her abilities because she was a girl or making jokes about her being a girl wolf. It wasn't funny. It was a curse, not a pun. Leah was hostile because she didn't want anyone in the pack to feel like she was either soft or needed their help because she wasn't and she didn't. She was a warrior just like everyone else. She prided herself on that.
Leah and Paul were also both Sam's betas. That meant that they were normally helping each other help Sam. Their relationship had gone from fellow betas to dear friends in a few weeks max and Paul cherished her friendship.
Paul stood completely still as he watched Bella whisper to Schyleur.
"Sam," Bella called over her shoulder, "Can the two of us use your bathroom?"
"Uh, yeah," Sam nodded, "Sure."
"Thanks."
Bella pulled open the door and followed Sky quickly inside. Everyone looked to Paul whose eyes were still trained on the closed door. Jake hadn't phased out and was instead laying on his stomach simply looking at them.
"Paul imprinted," Sam said to no in particular.
"That makes 4 of us," Quil said quietly.
"I'm taking bets on Embry being next," Jared offered.
"I've got $10 on it being Jake," Quil countered.
His wolf whined.
"$10 on Leah," Paul ripped his gaze away from the door.
"Leah?" Jared checked, "You're sure about that?"
"Positive," Paul nodded.
"You want in on this?" Jared cast a look back at Sam.
"No," he said gruffly, "You're all idiots."
"So," Quil hopped to his feet, "How do you feel, Paul?"
"About?" he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Oh please," Jared scoffed, "You know damn well what."
"I never thought that I would imprint," he said simply.
"Well," Jared threw an arm over his friend's shoulder, "Imprinting isn't horrible," Jared offered "It may affect the people around you in a negative way sometimes, but it's one of the best feelings in the world for you personally. It makes you stronger and happier. You just gain so much life and you have so much to fight for."
"And you can use the happy," Sam interrupted.
"Yeah, you can," Quil laughed.
Paul growled.
"Don't worry about all the broken heart you'll leave around town by keeping your manhood in your shorts, Lahote," Sam chuckled.
"Yeah," Jared agreed, "because it'll be worth it in the long run. Even if some random girls aren't happy, that's not your problem," Jared said, "Your imprint is. People have bad break ups every day. People don't find their soulmate every day. You stand with Sky above all else now. Imprint trumps pack every time. It's not normal, but it's instinct. You're not making decisions that affect you. You're making decisions that affect the both of you."
"It's that bad, huh?" Paul checked.
"I guess so," Jared chuckled, "but it's worth it to go home to Kim every night. She made me a better person and wolf and Sky's going to do the same for you. I mean soul mate doesn't mean it's going to be easy. It's like every other relationship. It takes work, but your love for her will win out every single time."
That was exactly what Paul was afraid of that he would fall prey to imprinting and become a different person. He didn't want to change. If this person was supposed to be his soulmate he shouldn't have had to. Who he was already should have been good enough. He wasn't going to get dragged by the balls by some chick that he didn't even know.
Paul collapsed on to the ground and simply sat there. Quil and Jared each crouched in front of him.
"It'll work out," Jared offered.
"She hasn't even gotten to the imprint part yet and she's already freaking out," Paul scoffed, "She can always reject the imprint. And then what Casanova?"
"And then we figure it out," Sam said gruffly, "She hasn't made a decision."
"Yeah," Quil shrugged, "Maybe she's good with weird ya'know- like Bella."
Jared scoffed. Paul cringed. The last thing he needed was another Isabella running around the reservation.
"Right," he said dryly.
All of their eyes turned to the door as they heard the footsteps in the house getting closer. Paul hopped to his feet as the back door flew open and Schyleur walked out immediately drawing him in. God. She was his own personal siren. She could lead him to his death at any moment and he would be okay with that as long as they were together. He began to grind his teeth together. Pathetic.